Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy has raised a number of questions, and although my response will not answer some of them, I will get him the appropriate replies. I was informed of this case on Friday, 27 January 2006. I share the Deputy's concern that this case should have arisen. My first priority in dealing with this is the welfare of the troops who were attended to by this man. To that end the director of the Medical Corps contacted each person who served in Liberia during the period in question alerting them to the case and advising them of the measures the Medical Corps were putting in place to deal with any concerns they may have.

As a result any Defence Forces member treated by the person concerned and who wished to discuss any aspect of his or her treatment with a medical officer was invited to consult their local military medical officer or alternatively to contact the special medical hotline established by the Army Medical Corps. I understand that, to date, there has been one call to this line.

The background to this case arises from the Defence Forces policy of providing medical care for personnel serving with large contingents overseas. In the case of missions such as Lebanon and Liberia it is the practice to send medical officers as part of the contingent. Given the arduous nature of the Liberia mission, with troops undertaking frequent long-term patrols away from base, it was deemed necessary to have two doctors with the battalion. The mission in Liberia is, of it nature, a peace enforcement one. This resulted in a situation whereby medical officers who had been recruited prior to 1993 could not be detailed to serve there and could only be selected to serve there as volunteers.

These requirements, coupled with a general difficulty in recruiting and retaining doctors in the Defence Forces, created a situation whereby the medical officer requirements for the mission could not be fully met among the doctors serving at that time. Following a tender competition involving a number of agencies, a contract was placed with Medicare Solutions Limited, Unit 15D, Oakcroft Road, Chessington, Surrey, England. I do not have a telephone number but I will try to get it tomorrow.

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